Mission Minded

Training and Equipping in Film

ITEC — Thu, 26 Oct 2023 09:00:00 +0000

On this episode of the podcast we are joined by Dana Swieson. Dana serves as an elder and a missions leader at his church near Philadelphia, Pa. We discuss with Dana the recent film training his church received from ITEC and how they applied that training with their partners in Malawi.

Mission Minded Podcast is produced by ITEC. The goal of this podcast is to inspire conversations about Great Commission participation. The views, organizations, and individuals represented, interviewed, and discussed on the podcast do not necessarily represent an official position or formal partnerships with ITEC.

25 Years of ITEC

ITEC — Fri, 08 Sep 2023 10:00:00 +0000

On this episode ITEC's Executive Director Jaime Saint gives an update on the state of ITEC as they celebrate 25 years in ministry, and the recent equip trainings held at their facility in central Florida.

Meeting Felt Needs and the Importance of Listening

ITEC — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 04:05:00 +0000

On this episode of the Mission Minded podcast we are joined by Glen Rowden. Glen is an US Army veteran, missionary, and currently serves on staff at Sarasota Baptist Church in Florida. He shares with us stories from his time overseas and how God is using his experiences as a missionary now in the US in his church.

The Markers in Our Lives

ITEC — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 17:00:00 +0000

On the season 4 premiere of the Mission Minded podcast, we are joined by ITEC Director of Equip, Chris. He shares the markers God placed in his family's lives as he called them from the state of Georgia to South Africa and then to ITEC. Chris also discusses the importance of empowering local Christ followers through equipping them with skills they can use to share the Gospel.

Show Notes: The GreatOmission Book - https://shop-itecusa.myshopify.com/products/the-great-omission ITEC's Equip Program - https://itecusa.org/equip

Is The Commission Still Great?

ITEC — Thu, 13 Oct 2022 11:00:00 +0000

On this episode of the Mission Minded Podcast we are joined by Steve Richardson, president of Pioneers-USA.

Steve was raised in Indonesia, where his parents planted churches in a jungle tribe. He witnessed the impact of the gospel on their war-like society, a story documented in his father's missionary classic, Peace Child. Steve and his wife, Arlene, also spent eleven years planting churches among an unreached people group in Southeast Asia.

On todays podcast we discuss Steves new book IS THE COMMISSION STILL GREAT? Steve uses stories from Scripture, history, and his own ministry experience to impart timely lessons on modern missions.

The ITEC team hosts special guests who tell stories, ask questions, and inspire us to use our God-given gifts to take the Gospel to our neighbors and the nations. Mission Minded Podcast is produced by ITEC. The goal of this podcast is to inspire conversations about Great Commission participation. The views, organizations, and individuals represented, interviewed, and discussed on the podcast do not necessarily represent an official position or formal partnerships with ITEC.

Show Notes:

· Peace Child. The story of Don Richardson and family/the conversion of the Sawi Tribe.

· Treachery on the Twisted River. An adaptation of the Peace Child more suited for younger audiences (ages 13-18).

· When God Comes Calling by Ted Fletcher (Steve Richardson’s Father-In-Law/founder of Pioneers). This is the story of Ted Fletcher’s conversion and the eventual formation of Pioneers.

· Western Christians in Global Mission by Paul Borthwick. We actually interviewed him on a previous podcast.

· When Everything Is Missions by Denny Spitters/Matthew Ellison.

· A Third of Us by Marvin J Newell. This book that mentions the 5 Great Commission passages in the New Testament.

· Perspectives on the World Christian Movement: https://www.perspectives.org/

· Step In Study: a five-session “alternative” to Perspectives produced by Global Frontier Missions. https://globalfrontiermissions.org/step-in/

· Xplore Study: a seven-session “alternative” to Perspectives produced by the Center for Mission Mobilization. https://www.mobilization.org/resources/live-missionally/xplore/

· “Never The Same.” The 16-minute documentary about the Richardson family visiting the Sawi tribe years later (similar to “The Last Chapter” at ITEC). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mm6R9EPtMHo

· Pioneers.org/myths

Harvest Ministries

ITEC — Thu, 08 Sep 2022 11:01:00 +0000

On this weeks episode of the Mission Minded Podcast we are joined by Caleb Director of Harvest Ministries. Harvest Ministries works to help people live with happiness and dignity, anchored in the power and love of the Lord Jesus Christ. It envisions the preaching of the Gospel, church planting and other forms of social outreach, to improve the quality of life for the people in their region.

Mission Transportation

ITEC — Tue, 31 May 2022 14:32:00 +0000

Today we are joined by Bruce and Zach. They both serve at ITEC in the mission transportation department which helps find solutions by providing advice, consulting, and strategizing for transportation in remote areas that may be needed for personnel transportation, or getting urgently needed supplies. In this episode they share their personal journey to joining ITEC and the work they are doing now in mission transportation.

Honor, Shame, and the Gospel

ITEC — Mon, 16 May 2022 18:00:00 +0000

On this episode of Mission Minded we are joined by Christopher Flanders and Werner Mischke, authors of the book Honor, Shame, and The Gospel.

Christians engaged in communicating the gospel navigate a challenging tension: faithfulness to God’s ancient, revealed Word—and relevance to the local, current social context. What if there was a lens or paradigm offering both? Understanding the Bible—particularly the gospel—through the ancient cultural “language” of honor-shame offers believers this double blessing. An honorific gospel offers new points of resonance with communities where shame and honor are critical values, including most unreached peoples.

In Honor, Shame, and the Gospel, over a dozen practitioners and scholars from diverse contexts and fields add to the ongoing conversation around the theological and missiological implications of an honorific gospel. Eight illuminating case studies explore ways to make disciples in a diversity of social contexts—for example, East Asian rural, Middle Eastern refugee, African tribal, and Western secular urban.

Honor, Shame, and the Gospel provides valuable resources to impact the ministry efforts of the church, locally and globally. Linked with its ancient honor-shame cultural roots, the gospel, paradoxically, is ever new—offering fresh wisdom to Christian leaders and optimism to the church for our quest to expand Christ’s kingdom and serve the worldwide mission of God.

Show Notes:

Purchase the book: https://missionbooks.org/products/honor-shame-and-the-gospel

Using Film to Share The Gospel

ITEC — Mon, 02 May 2022 18:00:00 +0000

On this week‘s episode of the podcast we are joined by Brian. Brian is an award winning filmmaker and has served with ITEC for the past 11 years in video and film production and as an instructor for ITEC’s film training module. On this episode we discuss how he became involved with film and his journey to using it as a full time ministry by not only creating content, but training others to do the same.

Show Notes:

Videos Discussed in the podcast:

Trapped: https://youtu.be/wA2JYVxF48Q

Next Chapter (11 part Steve Saint Series) https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL25AFFB5EA9F9B052

ITEC's Film Training: https://www.itecusa.org/film-training/

Transforming the World Through Healthcare

ITEC — Mon, 18 Apr 2022 18:00:00 +0000

We are honored to have Dr. Bill Griffin on this episode of the Mission Minded Podcast. Dr. Griffin serves as the Vice President for Dental Ministries with the Christian Medical and Dental Association, also known as CMDA. He averages four international dental mission trips each year, and he is passionate about opportunities to communicate the love of Christ to others, both domestically and internationally.

Dr. Griffin graduated from dental school in 1983 and practiced in Virginia for over 35 years. Along the way God reveled the opportunities to use his skill to serve and invest in others.

You will be encouraged as you listen to his story of God leading him to go on that first medical mission trip to working with CMDA on a full time basis today.

Show Notes: https://cmda.org

Teaching Medical Care to Further the Gospel

ITEC — Mon, 04 Apr 2022 18:37:00 +0000

In this episode of the Mission Minded podcast we are joined by the ITEC medical training team. Trina and Rhonda share how God is using their backgrounds in medicine to bring medical training to Indigenous Christ followers across the world. They describe their experiences in the field, and share the goal of ITEC’s medical training program: To share the basic skills of caring for others physical needs, so people can both hear the Good News of Jesus and experience His love in a tangible way.

Ministering to the Unreached at Home and Abroad

ITEC — Mon, 21 Mar 2022 18:00:00 +0000

Our guest on the podcast today is Grant Haynes. Grant and his wife Jennifer founded Global Frontier Missions in 2000 serving among unreached people groups in southern Mexico. The ministry began to grow over the years and God expanded their vision to not only reach the lost in Mexico, but to be used by God to raise up laborers to serve among the remaining 7,000+ ethnic groups worldwide that are still considered unreached with the Gospel. He is currently based out of Clarkston, Georgia, ministering to the many refugees being relocated to the United States. He is encouraging others to join in by providing missionary training resources and opportunities for Christians seeking to fulfill the Great Commission.

Five Principles to Sustainable Short-Term Missions

ITEC — Mon, 07 Mar 2022 19:09:00 +0000

There is no shortage of work in the call of the Great Commission, and God is using His Church all over the world in unique ways. He has called ITEC into this work by challenging us to to explore what it would look like to train and empower the Indigenous Church. We have had the opportunity to work all over the world and continue to learn ways to improve. In this episode of the Mission Minded podcast, ITEC Executive Director Jaime presents 5 Principles to having sustainable, long-term impact on a short-term mission trip.

Show Notes:

Missions Dilemma and the Great Omission available at https://www.itecusa.org/resource-center/

When Helping Hurts: https://amzn.to/3HvN11F

It's Not About the Nail Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4EDhdAHrOg

Using the Tools God Has Given You

ITEC — Mon, 21 Feb 2022 19:39:00 +0000

Thanks for joining us for this episode of the Mission Minded Podcast. Our goal is to bring you conversations on outside the box thinking in carrying out Christ’s Great Commission.

On this episode we kick off season three with David and new co-host Kristin. Kristin has recently become a member of ITEC to help with the media team. David is another new member to the ITEC Team who is focused on furthering the mechanical training. The majority of his working career has been spent fixing or repairing cars and now has the ability to use those talents to invest in Christ followers around the world. His journey to working for a ministry full time didn’t happen overnight, but by listening to God one step of faith at a time.

We hope that you enjoy this episode and are challenged in your own life by hearing how God has been leading others.

We Died Before We Came Here

ITEC — Wed, 03 Nov 2021 23:14:00 +0000

On this episode of Mission Minded we are joined by Emily Foreman, author of the book "We Died Before We Came Here".

If not you, who? If not now, when? This was the challenge answered by Stephen Foreman and his wife, Emily, when they traded in their American white picket fence for a giant, dusty sandbox as missionaries in the deserts of North Africa. Stephen had given Emily a well–read copy of Foxe’s Book of Martyrs on their first date, a telling foreshadowing of the ultimate cost he would pay when, at 39, he was shot and killed by al–Qaeda operatives. His life and death planted a seed of boldness and inspiration in the hearts of local believers. This seed would grow and multiply efforts to help reach the very goal that Stephen was willing to give his life for—glorifying God and seeing his Kingdom established among the nations.

In this memoir, Emily, left with four kids and an undying calling to reach the Muslim world, recounts their heartrending yet uplifting story of sacrifice and love for a people held captive by the ultimate Enemy. Stephen did not die in vain. This promise echoes through the book’s pages and far beyond, in the minds and lives of countless individuals touched by a man who daily put his life in the hands of God.

Buy the book: https://www.amazon.com/Died-Before-Came-Here-Sacrifice/dp/1631464515

Mission Minded Podcast: In Matthew 28:18-20, we are commissioned by Christ to make disciples of all the nations. Living in light of this scriptural call can be challenging. Join the Mission Minded podcast and participate in discussions with mission-minded individuals that come from diverse backgrounds, working all over the world, to bring some of the challenges into the light. The ITEC team hosts special guests who tell stories, ask questions, and inspire us to use our God-given gifts to take the Gospel to our neighbors and the nations. Mission Minded Podcast is produced by ITEC. The goal of this podcast is to inspire conversations about Great Commission participation. The views, organizations, and individuals represented, interviewed, and discussed on the podcast do not necessarily represent an official position or formal partnerships with ITEC.

The mPower Approach

ITEC — Wed, 20 Oct 2021 23:18:00 +0000

On this weeks episode we are joined by Tim Williams. Tim is a dentist that serves as President of the mission training organization mPower Approach.

https://www.mpowerapproach.org

https://www.medicalmissions.com

The Role of A Global Missions Pastor

ITEC — Wed, 06 Oct 2021 23:00:00 +0000

On this weeks episode, we are joined by Mark Clyburn. Mark serves as the Global Missions Pastor at Warren Baptist Church in Augusta, GA.

Foundations for Farming

ITEC — Thu, 23 Sep 2021 04:01:00 +0000

This week we are joined by Darryl and Hazel Edwards. Darryl and Hazel serve with Foundations for Farming, an organization that is aimed at bringing transformation to individuals, communities & nations through faithful & productive use of the land. www.foundationsforfarming.org

40 Years of Mission Work in Japan

ITEC — Thu, 09 Sep 2021 04:01:00 +0000

This week we are joined by missionary Joel Kaufman. Joel has served for over 40 years in Japan with TEAM, The Evangelical Alliance Mission.

What is the Role of Western Christians in Global Missions

ITEC — Thu, 26 Aug 2021 04:01:00 +0000

On this weeks episode of the podcast we are joined by Paul Borthwick. Paul serves as senior consultant for Development Associates International and previously taught global Christianity at Gordon College for thirty years. Through his speaking, writing, and resource ministry, Borthwick works to mobilize others to participate in world missions.

Borthwick is an active speaker and teacher, having taught courses at Gordon College, Africa International University (Nairobi), Alliance Theological Seminary (Manila), and Lanka Bible College (Sri Lanka), plus a guest faculty position at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Previously he served for more than twenty years on the staff of Grace Chapel in Lexington, Massachusetts, first as youth pastor and then as minister of missions.

Rick Warren (in Purpose-Driven Life) cites Paul’s books A Mind For Missions and How To Be a World-Class Christian as resources that “should be read by every Christian.” His 2012 book, Western Christians in Global Mission: What’s the Role of the North American Church, was book of the day at Urbana 2012 and received the 2014 Christianity Today Award of Merit in the Missions/Global Affairs category. His book, Great Commission, Great Compassion: Following Jesus and Loving the World (IVP) was released in November 2015 and was featured as a book of the day at Urbana 2015. Paul’s most recent book, Mission 3:16 - God’s One-Verse Invitation to Love the World, was released in June 2020.

Finding a Solution to Reach Remote Areas in Central Africa

ITEC — Thu, 12 Aug 2021 05:01:00 +0000

In many areas of the world, transportation is one of the main hindrances to the spread of the gospel. Developing tools and solutions to these issues is at the core of what we do at ITEC. In this episode of our Mission Minded Podcast, we are joined by Glen Chapman, a third-generation missionary serving in the Congo. As the ministry in the Congo expanded, so did the need for transporting equipment across difficult terrain. Join us as we discuss how Glen partnered with ITEC to find a solution which would enable them to access villages in hard to reach areas.

Media Being Used to Advance the Gospel

ITEC — Thu, 24 Jun 2021 05:09:00 +0000

An award-winning documentary producer, Dianne Becker is unique in the world of television. She can often be found doing a bit of everything: writing, directing, producing, shooting, and editing. Dianne has held numerous jobs in a variety of locations and garnered numerous awards, including a regional Emmy, 13 Emmy nominations, and a New York Festival Silver. Leaving the northeast television markets, she made it her job to see the world – traveling throughout Europe, and into the Eastern and Southern Hemispheres. Seven years later, she took a leave of absence from her job at the CBS affiliate in St. Louis, and embarked on a sabbatical year of helping others. From working in Guatemala to producing videos in Sri Lanka, the adventure didn’t let her return to her job at CBS, but re-directed her career to producing documentaries around the world.

Solving Complex Problems Through Partnership

ITEC — Thu, 10 Jun 2021 06:00:00 +0000

It is not uncommon for big challenges to exist on the mission field. At ITEC, we aim to partner with like-minded ministries to solve some of these problems that have been shared with us. When Glen from the International Association of Missionary Aviation (IAMA) told us about the mission aviation safety dilemma of outdated airstrip information, we were curious. The student engineers at the Messiah University Collaboratory took on the project, in tandem with IAMA and ITEC, to test solutions to map and update remote airstrip maps. Their hard work in testing the tool and the mutual support of like-minded ministries combined to provide a solution that we all hope will help protect missionary pilots, their passengers, and their cargo on the field. Join this conversation with Messiah University, IAMA, and ITEC as we discuss this partnership.

Church Planting in Bosnia, Missio Nexus, and Spiritual Retreat with Ted Esler

ITEC — Thu, 27 May 2021 06:57:00 +0000

Ted Esler is the President of Missio Nexus, an association of agencies and churches representing about 30,000 Great Commission workers worldwide. He worked in the computer industry before becoming a church planter in Sarajevo, Bosnia, during the 1990's. Ted is the author of Overwhelming Minority, which tells the story of their family's ministry in Bosnia. In 2000, Ted became the Canadian director of Pioneers, and three years later moved to Orlando to join Pioneers USA's leadership team. He was appointed as President of Missio Nexus in 2015.

Missionary Pilot Kevin Donaldson Reflects on Aviation Tragedy in Peru

ITEC — Thu, 13 May 2021 05:33:00 +0000

On April 20, 2001, the Peruvian Air Force shot down a Cessna 185 piloted by missionary Kevin Donaldson. This tragedy of mistaken identity led to the death of passengers Veronica "Roni" Bowers and her daughter, Charity. Jim Bowers, her husband, and Cory their son, survived along with Kevin. Kevin reflects on the tragic accident in this podcast; both on the heaviness of the incident, and also on how God can use all situations, even difficult chapters like this, to bring Him Glory. Kevin also discusses the work he and his wife have been able to do in the Middle East using aviation as a door opener to the Gospel. The Donaldsons continue to work on passing the baton to the next generation.